Treo - Handspring and Palm-OS product review

Treo™ 680 smartphone

2007-12-10T17:14:00.000+07:00

It's time to expect more from your phone.

Say hello to the Palm® Treo™ 680 smartphone. It's your phone along with email, messaging, and web access.³ Not to mention your contacts, calendar, photos, and songs. Sounds like a lot. And it is. But everything's so easy to learn that you'll actually use it, which makes it anything but a typical phone.

The same goes for design. Pick it up and you'll notice a large color touchscreen and an easy-type keyboard. Since the Treo 680 is just the right size, you have the freedom to take it anywhere and still be connected to friends, work, and family.⁴ Of course, there's also something called an "off" button, for when you don't want to be connected at all.

Everything your next phone should be.

And the Palm® Treo™ 680 smartphone makes it all so easy.

Phone—enjoy easy-to-use features such as multi-party conference calling³ and speakerphone.
Email—send and receive email from corporate and personal email accounts, including AOL, Gmail, and Yahoo!.⁴
Web—download web sites fast using the award-winning Blazer® web browser. With a convenient touchscreen, it's on-the-go web access you'll actually use.⁴
Messaging—fire off a text message, or send photos and videos complete with audio captions.⁴ Plus, see the whole conversation in a chat-style view.
Multimedia—snap photos, create slideshows, shoot video,⁵ play songs. Even record your own ringtones.
Built-in Organizer—be as together as you want to be with your calendar, contacts, to-do list, and memos right at your fingertips.
Documents to Go®—download, view, and edit Word and Excel® compatible files, rehearse a PowerPoint® presentation, even review PDF files.
Bluetooth® Technology—connect to GPS, headsets, car kits and more—all without wires getting in the way.⁶
Dial-up Networking—use your Treo smartphone as a wireless modem for your laptop.⁷
Palm OS® Applications—choose from any of the thousands of titles to add to your Treo 680, from cool games to productivity tools.⁸

Be mobile. Browse mobile.⁴

Snap pictures and shoot video.

Product specifications.

Operating System

Palm OS® 5.4.9

Memory

64MB non-volatile flash memory available for user storage

Processor

Intel® PXA270 312 MHz processor

Screen

320 x 320 pixel TFT touchscreen with support for over 65,000 colors

Wireless

GSM/GPRS/EDGE-class 10 radio
Quad band (850/900/1800/1900 MHz)
Bluetooth® 1.2 wireless technology, Infrared (IR)

Phone Features

Speakerphone
Hands-free headset jack
Microphone mute option
TTY/TDD compatibility
Multi-party conference calling³

Digital Camera

VGA
Automatic light balance
2x digital zoom
Integrated self-portrait mirror
Video capture with 352 x 288 pixel resolution

Audio

2.5mm headset jack is stereo headset-compatible (requires a stereo headset adapter, sold separately, for use with standard stereo headphones)
Speaker
Polyphonic MIDI & WAV ringtones
External ringer on/off switch w/vibrate mode

Keyboard

Full QWERTY key layout with backlighting
Integrated number dial pad
Keyguard feature

Expansion Slot

Support for MultiMediaCard, SD & SDIO cards

Battery

Removable, rechargeable lithium-ion battery
Talk time: up to 4 hours
Standby time: up to 300 hours

Power/Sync

Multi-connector on device
USB sync cable
AC adapter

Size

4.4" H x 2.3" W x 0.8" D
113mm H x 59mm W x 21mm D

Weight

5.5 ounces/157 grams

Colors

Graphite, Crimson, Arctic, and Copper⁴

Desktop requirements.

Windows® PC

Windows® 2000 or Windows® XP Service Pack 2 (later versions may also be supported)
USB port (USB sync cable included)

Mac

Mac OS 10.2.4-10.4
USB port (USB sync cable included)

Handspring Treo 650 Review

2006-06-10T10:13:00.000+07:00

The Palm® Treo™ 650 smartphone makes it easier than ever to stay connected. It simplifies your life by combining a compact, full-featured mobile phone with email2, including AOL, Gmail and Yahoo!, an organizer, messaging, and web access2. All of which is within easy reach using the Treo 650 smartphone's finger-friendly QWERTY keyboard. There's also Bluetooth® technology for connecting wirelessly to other Bluetooth devices such as headsets and car kits. Not to mention an MP3 player to listen to your tunes3, a digital camera that captures video, and a vibrant color screen that brings everything to life. What's more, you can easily send video clips, text messages, and photos to friends and colleagues. And with the Intel® PXA270 processor, you get impressive multimedia performance and power savings. With the Treo 650, smartphones just keep getting smarter.

Product Specification:

operating system: Palm OS® 5.4 (Garnet)
memory: 32MB (23MB user accessible) non-volatile
processor: Intel® PXA270 312MHz processor
screen: 320 x 320 color TFT touchscreen display 16-bit color displays over 65,000 colors
wireless: GSM/GPRS model: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz world phone
CDMA model: 800/1900 MHz nationwide phone digital phone
Bluetooth® 1.1 wireless support
digital camera: VGA with 640x480 (0.3 megapixels) resolution
Automatic light balancing: 2x digital zoom
Integrated self-portrait mirror: Video capture
audio: 2.5mm headset jack is stereo headset compatible—requires a stereo headset adapter, sold separately, for use with standard stereo headphones
Speaker: RealPlayer included - requires SD card, sold separately
Polyphonic MIDI ringtones: External ringer on/off switch w/ vibrate mode
keyboard: Full QWERTY key layout with backlighting
Integrated number dial pad: Keyguard feature
expansion slot: Support for MultiMediaCard, SD & SDIO cards
battery: Removable, rechargeable lithium-ion battery
Talk time: up to 6 hrs on GSM/GPRS model
Talk time: up to 5 hrs on CDMA model
Standby: up to 300 hrs on GSM/GPRS model
Standby: up to 336 hrs on CDMA model
power/sync: Multi-connector on device
USB sync cable: AC adapter (108-32 VAC/60Hz)
size: 2.3" W x 4.4" H (excluding antenna) x 0.9" D 59mm W x 113mm H x 23mm D
weight: 6.3 ounces 178 grams

Handspring Treo 600 Review

2006-06-08T16:36:00.000+07:00

Specification
Mode: CDMA 800 / 1800
Weight: 176 gms
Dimensions (L*W*D):112 x 60 x 22mm
Battery type : Li-Ion
Talktime: 240 mins
Standby time: 240 hrs
Games: Yes
Internet capability: Yes
SMS capability: Yes
Display type: 3375 colors, LCD
Phone book capacity: Dynamic Memory Ringtones : Polyphonic
Vibration Alert : Yes
Extras : Camera, GPS, Expansion Slot
Connectivity : CDMA 1xRTT, USB

Full Review

Note - The Treo is available in two versions, either GSM or CDMA. The GSM version is a quad band cell phone whereas the CDMA version operates on CDMA 800 / CDMA 1900 frequencies. CDMA version features CDMA 1xRTT where as GSM version has GPRS for high speed data transfer.

The Treo 600 is a true blue smart phone, which successfully culminates the mix of a cell phone and a PDA. The smartphone is powered by a OMAP 1510 ARM-based processor. The OS is Palm version 5. The 600 has a specially optimized QWERTY keyboard, which makes it very easy to type messages, surf the web and even dial phone numbers. The Handspring 600 is a quad band GSM based cell phone meaning that it operates on all GSM frequencies i.e. GSM 800 / GSM 900 / GSM 1800 / GSM 1900 thus allowing it to operate throughout the world. The display is a bit letdown though, the color LCD has a resolution of 160x160 pixels but can display only about 3,375 colors. Surprising since even the most low level entry phones (having color displays) are those that have 4096 colors in their displays. It is disappointing that where the higher end cell phones are having 65k color displays, the Treo which is supposed to be one of the most advanced phone for its time has a mere 3375 color display. However may be this is what Handspring means by saying that compared to the other Treo phones, the 600 will be offered at a premium; cost cutting perhaps ?

The Treo 600 is powered by a Li-Ion battery with a talk time of 5 hours and a standby of 240 hours. The antenna is an external stub type, which does not give any sort of reception or voice problems. However coupled with the fact that the Treo weighs a healthy 168 gms; it does make the 600 slightly difficult to carry around. Navigation through the menus is by means of the four way navigation keys. The touch screen also makes it easy for the user to move about. The Treo has been equipped with a digital camera. This makes it possible for the user to shoot still photographs of 640x480 resolution. The photographs can be stored in the shared memory of the phone. This memory is shared between various applications which include ring tone downloads, phone book etc. The Phone book can also store various details for each contact including but not limited to several numbers, email address and so on. Standard features such as Calendar, Calculator, alarm clock have not been forgotten either.

Wireless Internet is based on GPRS, the browser is the Blazer 3.0 which allows surfing of any website including those with JavaScript and even download software. Local data transfer is possible by use if the Infra red port between compatible device. For those who are not comfortable with wireless data exchange, the USB port is a nice alternate. The Treo also has an e-mail client which supports POP3 and SMTP based accounts besides allowing attachments. Obviously since so many features are offered which require memory, the manufacturers had to provide a way of increasing the memory available to the user. This has been done by providing expansion slots for Multimedia card (MMC) and Secure Digital (SD) cards. Synchronization is possible by means of the Palm Os Hotsync software. The user has the option of downloading ringtones into the dynamic memory and even polyphonic tones are supported (16 chords maximum). Having a color display as well as camera, it is obvious that the Handspring 600 will also have the capacity to send / receive MMS besides plain SMS. The MMS supports various file formats such as MIDI, iMelody, AMR, GIF, JPEG. As you must have observed these formats include various audio and picture type files. Text messaging is a boon with the QWERTY keyboard.

During times when silence is required, such as in a theatre, lecture or even a meeting; the silent alert (vibration alert) works very well and lets you know about a call or message without disturbing others. Organizer features include a To-Do list.

Though the Handspring people have though of almost everything, it is up to the users to finally give the review. So please post your experiences…

Get the latest Treo software here !!

Handspring Treo 270 Review

2006-06-08T15:36:00.000+07:00

Specification
Mode: GSM 900 / 1900
Weight: 153 gms
Dimensions (L*W*D):107 x 71 x 21mm
Battery type : Li-Ion
Talktime: 180 mins
Standby time: 150 hrs
Games: Yes
Internet capability: Yes
SMS capability: Yes
Display type: 4096 colors, LCD
Phone book capacity: Palm OS Based
Ringtones : Palm OS Based
Vibration Alert : Yes
Extras : None
Connectivity : GPRS, USB, IR, E-Mail client

Full Review
The Treo 270 is a step further from the 180. The main difference being obviously the color screen that has been provided in place of the monochrome display. However though the remaining differences may not seem so obvious, it would not be wise to dismiss the 270 as another 180 with color. This is because there is much more then meets the eye. Handspring has listened to the user complaints of the 180, this is obvious and has made certain much required changes. The battery life about which there was a lot of hue and cry has finally been boosted. Three hours of talk time are now possible along with 150 hours of standby. The phone works on GSM 900 / 1900 networks in America and for Asia/ Europe this is GSM 900 / 1800. The size of the screen has also remained the same and there does not seem to be any adverse effect on the battery either. However, the weight has increased to 153 gms. The 12-bit color LCD is capable of displaying 4096 colors. Though this does not put it into the league of the extremely hi-fi color displays; it is certainly much better then what the 180 had to offer. Another change that the Handspring folk have done and a very required one at that is that the keypad has finally been given backlights. This was another drawback that had been heavily criticized in the previous version.

The Treo 270 PDA is based on the Palm Operating System. Navigation is possible through the 2 way keys provided for the purpose. Standard functions such as Calculator, Calendar are also based on the Palm OS. Once again the games for this phone are downloadable and more can be added, however unlike the normal cell phones which support Java based or Mophun based games; this PDA will only accept Palm based games. Lots of sites /services are available for software's & games for Palms. Treo Mail, which allows you to send and receive your business or personal email from your Treo, has been officially released. You can add it to the Treo 270 or the Treo 180. This software also supports POP3 protocol, compatible with Microsoft Outlook / Exchange.

The 270 is based on the Motorola Dragonball VZ processor which runs at 33 Mhz speed , with 16 Mb of RAM onboard. The OS is Palm 3.5.2 H. The phone has an Infra red port as well as a USB for data communications with other compatible devices. This also allows PC Synchronization .PC Sync is based on the Palm OS Hot Sync software. Wireless Internet is supported and based on the Blazer browser which is compatible with HTML, WML, HDML, cHTML, xHTML.

Again the phone is certainly much better then the previous version but yet has shortcomings. If you just need a phone then much better options are available. Even if a PDA is what you have in mind then consider a Pocket PC compatible one. These are giving very good competition to the Palm OS and are easier to Sync with various soft wares. Not to mention Java support and the works.

Get the latest Treo software here !!

Handspring Treo 300 Review

2006-06-08T14:30:00.000+07:00

Specifications
Mode: CDMA 1900
Weight: 162 gms
Dimensions (L*W*D):112 x 71 x 21mm
Battery type : Li-Ion
Talktime: 180 mins
Standby time: 150 hrs
Games: Yes
Internet capability: Yes
SMS capability: Yes
Display type: 4096 colors, LCD
Phone book capacity: Palm OS Based
Ringtones : Polyphonic
Vibration Alert : Yes
Extras : None
Connectivity : CDMA2000 1xRTT, USB, IR, E-Mail client

Full Review
The Treo 300 works on a CDMA 1900 network. It has a color display, similar to the one in the 270. It is a color LCD capable of displaying 4096 colors. Navigation through the menus is by means of the two navigation keys provided for this purpose. A touch screen and stylus help in the PDA part of the functions. The pone weighs 162 gms. The battery is Li-Ion and an internal one. The main disadvantage being that the battery cannot be replaced. Obviously the user is expected to throw away the phone once he is done with it or if the battery fails ;) The Phone is based on the Palm OS and has a 33 Mhz Dragonball Processor from Motorola. The phone also has 16 Mb of memory (RAM). This is really inadequate especially since today's PDAs have about 32 Mb RAM and users still find it not enough. Luckily the phone is CDMA based and so can have the CDMA 2000 1xRTT network access. Unlike the previous versions of the Treo which were GSM based and consequently had to depend on GPRS , which was either not supported by the phone nor by the networks as in most cases.

In spite of a lot of criticism that the original Treo (The 180) had come under for no voice-activated dialing, Handspring seems to have not learnt a lesson. Many users like and use this function regularly and its absence irritates them to no end. The phone has an Infrared port , as well as an USB port which help in communicating with compatible data devices. The USB port helps in synchronizing with the PC. PC Sync is possible using the HotSync Software. All standard functions such as Calculator, Calendar, Alarm are all present. These are based on the Palm based operating system. For a big change, the Treo 300 allows downloading of Polyphonic ringtones. Might as well since this is the latest craze in the market and might just be the point of distinction between selection and rejection between phones in the eyes of the user.

Wireless Internet is present and is supported by the Blazer browser. It supports HTML, WML, HDML, cHTML (i-mode) and xHTML (WAP 2.0) and also has support for 128 bit SSL encryption.

This review is a lot shorter then others of the PDA class. But this is mainly because Handspring has kept the same design, configuration. As a result most of the drawbacks and advantages have also been repeated. Anyone seriously considering buying a Handspring Treo definitely wants to have a look at the two predecessors of the TREO 300 before he / she can make the right choice.

Get the latest Treo software here !!

Handspring Treo 180 Review

2006-06-08T14:23:00.000+07:00

Specifications
Mode: GSM 900 / 1900
Weight: 153 gms
Dimensions (L*W*D):109 x 69 x 18mm
Battery type : Li-Ion
Talktime: 240 mins
Standby time: 60 hrs
Games: Yes
Internet capability: Yes
SMS capability: Yes
Display type: Greyscale, LCD
Phone book capacity: Palm OS based
Ringtones : Palm OS Based
Vibration Alert : Yes
Extras : None
Connectivity : GPRS, USB, IR

Full Review
The Treo 180 is a GSM based PDA which is meant for the GSM network. It works on the GSM 900 & 1900 frequencies. The phone is comparatively lighter then others in its class and weighs only about 150gms. The device is flip based. The flip is actually nothing more than a flip up window which is see through and mainly acts as a protective cover for the display. The battery is Li-Ion based and unfortunately too less for the heavy user. It has a standby of just 60 hours and a talk time of 3 hours. Navigation is by means of the two navigation keys provided specially for this purpose. The device is entirely Palm OS based. Thus the phonebook also is managed by the Palm software. This also means that multiple number storage for each contact is entirely possible. All standard functions such as Calculator, Calendar etc are also present and again based on the Palm Operating System. An IR port is also inbuilt. This is in addition to the USB port. These allow communication with other compatible devices besides helping in Pc Synchronization. PC Sync is possible with the Palm OS Hot Sync software. There is full support for 2 way text messaging by the Treo 180 from Handspring. The touch screen can be worked easily with the accompanied stylus.

The Speaker phone works well and even manages to overcome the volume problem. Battery life is another problem since it is way too short for serious users.

The Telephone Speaker may stop working after some time, but Handspring is already aware of the problem. It seems some batches have this manufacturing defect. There are some software bugs as well. Sometimes closing the flip also does not lead to the call being ended. The echo problem is terrible, for the people at the other end and they really have to strain themselves to make any sense out of your voice. This is not the case with a single hand set but evidently many or rather most users have suffered from it. As if this wasn't enough to leave a bad taste, the Treo 180 routinely drops call. This happens with such alarming regularity that I found myself thinking whether there was some feature that made this happen in case the caller was an unwanted one or something. But no such luck. Maybe the network was faulty this time but again for the end user the blame will lie with the phone itself. Now even if you do manage to get and then stay connected then after the echo problems, there is the volume crisis. This time since the volume of the phone is low even at the highest settings, it's your part to strain the ears and make some sense from the caller.

Other problems include that the backlight should be triggered automatically when the flip is opened. Agreed that keeping it off will increase battery life, but how is one expected to turn it on in the dark? Even if you do manage to turn it on , there still is the problem of using it. This is because the keypad isn't backlit. Though this isn't as bad as it sounds, it definitely is a problem. The software has bugs as mentioned before and even leads to crashes under certain conditions.

Wireless Internet is present and the browser is Blazer which supports HTML, WML, HDML, cHTML as well as xHTML.

Under normal circumstances I would simply have suggested that the phone/ PDA was good enough for its time but is simply too outdated for use today. However from the long list of problems which one user has even gone so far as to mention as "scandalous" the Treo 180 was never a best seller and only created problems for both the company (Handspring) as well as its users.

Get the latest Treo software here !!